Boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine



Oct. 31, 1933. J MlTCHELL 1,932,472

BOLL BREAKING AND COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed June 25, 1931 JOHN ,6. M/TCHA'IL L.

VVENTOR MEMQJM QTroPA/EK Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John E. Mitchell, Dallas, Tex.

Application June 25, 1931, Serial No. 546,684

7 Renewed March 13, 1933 7 Claims.

This invention relates to the .art of cotton cleaning, and has for its general object to provide a novel combined boll-breaking and cotton cleaning machine having higher efliciency and greater capacity than prior machines of this general character.

With the above general object in View, my invention is characterized by the use of a plurality of impact cylinders, arranged preferably in horizontalalignment, rotating in proximity toa like number of screens and cooperating with each other, and a picker roller cooperating with one .of the'cylinders at the end of the series to withdraw through a discharge opening a part of the stream of mixed cotton and bolls while the remainder of the stream is carried past the discharge by the cylinder at that end and again acted upon by the series of cylinders in succession.

I-leretofore cotton extracting and cleaning machines have been used in which the cotton is acted on by a single rotating beater or bollbreaker, and a picker roller of substantially the same diameter of the boll-breaking cylinder operated to Withdraw the hull particles and cotton from the casing enclosing the breaker cylinder as rapidly as the bolls are broken open. Such character of machine is illustrated, for example, in the prior patent to Parks, No. 1,360,015, dated November 23, 1920.

At the time of the advent of this machine, cotton and bolls were generally hand picked, and the cotton to be ginned was comparatively free from leaves, trash, sand and coarser foreign substances. The cotton gins supplied by these machines were operated at a much lower speed, and did not have anything like the capacity that is now required of a modern high-speed gin. Furthermore, during the earlier days of handling bolly cotton, ginners did not except to operate with a full ginning roll, even in comparatively low-speed gins. Under the conditions recited, the single breaker cylinder machine of the type referred to could handle suilicient bolly cotton to supply the average ginning machine without over-crowding. At the present time, the bolly cotton is not carefully snapped as formerly, but it is sledded and otherwise'roughly harvested, resulting in a great deal of leaves and other trash being carried along with the cotton bolls, which, together with the fact that gins are now operated at a much higher speed than formerly, and the further fact that ginners require a full ginning roll so as to operate at the fully capacity of the gin, make it necessary to supply such a large stream of clean cotton to the gin that the single breakercylinder type of machine referred to has become altogether inadequate.

It may be stated, in this connection, that it is impracticable to increase the capacity of a single cylinder machine by increasing thesup- .ply of the bolly cotton thereto, for the reason that the breaker cylinder would have to operate at such a high speed to break the bolls rapidly enough to supply a stand of gins with cotton, that considerable shaling and pulverizing of the hulls and other foreign matter would inevitably result, and it is almost impossible to adequately separate such fine substances from the cotton.

Again, the great amount of leaf and other trash now being harvested with bolly cotton,

makes a large amount of screening surface necessary to permit the escape of the trash while the cotton is being acted upon; and this is only practicable by the use of a considerable number of cylinders.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, I arrange the picker roller directly in the line of the impact of the bolly cotton thrown up by the cooperating impact cylinder, and rotate the surface of the picker roller opposed to said impact cylinder in a downward direction, so that bolls and other hard bodies thrown up by the impact cylinder and hitting the picker roller will bounce back, or will be knocked back by the picker roller, with but slight tendency of their being carried into crushing engagement with the angle bar that defines the size of an opening'past the picker roller through which cotton separated from the bolls is drawn by the picker roller.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the view is a longitudinal section through a machine constructed according to my invention. p I

Referring to this drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a hopper, from which cotton is fed through the open end of a casing 2, in which are mounted two cooperating feeder rollers 3. Mounted to rotate immediately below the feeder rollers 3 is an impact cylinder 4 being the end cylinder of a series of cooperating impact cylinders horizontally arranged, the remaining cylinders being indicated, respectively, by the numerals 5, 6 and 7. Each of these cylinders comprises a drum 8, having four or more blades 9 secured on its periphery and extending longitudinally of the cylinders from end to end thereof. The impact cylinders 4-7 are mounted in the upperend of a casing 10, in the bottom of which is mounted a worm conveyor 11 adapted to-discharge trash from casing through an opening 12 provided at one end of the casing. The impact cylinders 47 are suitably housed, being partly surrounded on their upper sides by circular housing members l3, and on their lower sides by circular housing screens 14, each housing member and screen of one cylinder being connected to the corresponding ends of the housing member and screen of the adjacent cylinder, thereby providing openings 15 between adjacent cylinders through which cotton may be passed from one cylinder to the other, in one directionat the tops of the cylinders and in the opposite direction at the bottoms thereof. Mounted adjacent to the impact cylinder 4 is a picker roller 16, preferably rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow, and of relatively small diameter as compared with the diameter of the impact cylinder. Located below the picker roller 16, and extending from side to side of the machine in parallel relation to the axis of said picker roler, is an angle bar 1'7, which defines the size of an opening 18 past the underside of the picker roller through which the cleaned cotton is withdrawn by said picker roller. The end of the screen "14 surrounding the underside of the impact cylinder 4 extends 'over and is secured to the angle bar 1'? and the end portion of this screen, as indicated at 20, instead of being concentric with the cylinder 4, diverges therefrom in a substantially straight line and terminates centrally under the picker roller 16. By this arrangement, cotton thrown up by the blades of the impact cylinder 4 will be thrown directly into engagement with the picker roller 16, which thus is enabled at once to engage and remove the cotton, while any unopened bolls will be knocked back by said picker roller and be carried around by the impact cylinder and delivered, in order, to theser'ies-o'f impact cylinders 5, *6, 7. Casing sections 21, projecting outwardly from the main casing and located, respectively, above and below the picker roller 16, provide an opening 22 through which the cotton and hulls are discharged by the picker roller 16.

The mesh of the screen 14 is large enough to permit small trash and hull particles, sand, dirt and the like, to pass through the screens, and small enough'to prevent any cot-ton of value from escaping.

In the operation of the machine, cotton fed in from the hopper 1 is engaged by the feeder rollers 3 and slightly compressed and as it is fed between them the blades 9 of the impact cylinder 4 removes cotton from the compact mass and de livers the same through opening 15 to the next impact cylinder 5, and this continues as respects the remaining cylinders until the final impact cylinder 7 is reached. The cotton is nowcarried by the, blades of this cylinder over "the screen 14 and a certain proportion of the trash, dirt, and the like, removed. The cotton is then delivered'to the impact cylinder 6 and passed by the blades thereof over its screen 14 and more of the fine refuse removed, and this process is continued as to the remaining cylinders.

When the final impact cylinder 4 is reached the cotton, in a clean condition as respects dirt and small trash, is thrown upward into engagement with the picker roller 16, which engages the cotton and draws it and hulls mixed therewith through the opening 18, whence it is delivered through opening 22. Any unopened cotton bolls will be knocked back by the picker roller and-carried around by the impact cylinder 4 to resume the circuit over the impact cylinders and then over the series of screens. In its circuit around the impact cylinders, the belly cotton is continuously subjected to the impact action of the blades 9 of the various cylinders, with the result that the bolls in the cotton are broken open and the cotton therein released.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I obviate over-loading a single cylinder by the use of a sumcient number of additional cylinders to perm'it breaking the bolls by the impact action thereof, while at the same time I am enabled to keep down the speed of rotation of the cylinders to such an extent that there is no tendency to .shale or pulverize the hulls. It will also be apparent that by adding additional cylinders and screens, sumcient screening surface can be provided to insure the separation and discharge of the trash from the cotton being acted upon by the cylinders before the cotton and hulls arrive at the outlet'opening 18.

It should be stated that the effect upon bolly cotton of a plurality of impact cylinders rotating at a relatively low rate of speed in cooperation with screens, is wholly different from the effect produced by a single breaker cylinder rotating at a relatively high speed within a screened casing. In the former case, the action on the cotton is that of impact and movement, or transference: First, impact of the blades and transference of the cotton over the upper sides of the series of impact cylinders; and second, impact of the blades and transference of the cotton over the screens of the successive cylinders. In the case of a single cylinder, the action at high speed is somewhat in the nature of a churning or grinding action, the cotton being subjected to the action of the breaker cylinder while being rapidly rotated within its casing; and as the screening surface is necessarily restricted in area, it is practically impossible, in the case of roughly harvested cotton, to remove the trash and dirt before the cotton is withdrawn from the casing by the picker roller. In the meantime, as the bol-ly cotton is subjected to the intense action of the breaker cylinder within a surrounding casing, at the same time that the bolls are opened the hulls are being reduced and a'g reat deal of 'shaling and pulverizing of the hulls occurs.

Owing to the relatively short period it is possible to act upon the bolly cotton by a singlecylinder, a breaker cylinder having relatively heavy,

pivoted beater arms is employed, and this type of breaker cylinder, as is well known, is highly efiicient in crushing and reducing even very hard substances subjected to its action.

It will be seen that in the present machine I merely use bladed cylinders, and as the cotton is free to pass from one housing 13 to the next housing, and from one screen 14 to the next screen, the action of each impact cylinder upon the belly cotton is relatively mild, and the impact occurs with the cotton in motion, and substantially unconfined, so that there is no churning or grinding action and only a minimum of rubbing action, with the result'that practically no shaling or pulverizing occurs.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I wish it understood that the same, as to the broad idea involved, is not limited either to the size of the picker roller or to the direction of its rotation shown, as, in this regard, the opening for the withdrawal of the cotton from the housing and the direction of rotation of the picker roller could be as in the Parks patent referred to, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a housing af 'fording an opening at one end, a series of impact cylinders mounted in said housing and arranged in separated transfer relation to each other, screens partially surrounding the cylinders, on one side and forming a part of the housing thereof, and a rotatable picker roller locatedin proximity to the impact cylinder at said end of the housing and in sufiiciently close proximity to one edge of said opening to provide a restricted outlet, whereby, in operation, a portion of the stream of the cotton fed into the housing and circulated therein by transfer from one cylinder to the other and consisting essentially of cotton and hulls, is continuously withdrawn by the picker roller through said restricted outlet while the remaining portion is carried past the opening by the impact cylinder adjacent the picker roller and is caused to make a circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

2. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a housing, a series of impact cylinders arranged in separated transfer relation to each other in said housing, the impact cylinder at one end of the series being located adjacent an opening provided at the corresponding end of the housing, screens partially surrounding the cylinders on one side and form ing a part of the housing thereof, means for supplying a regulated stream of bolls and cotton to the housing, and a rotatable picker roller located in proximity to said end impact cylinder on the side thereof facing said opening and providing with one edge of the latter a restricted outlet, whereby, in operation, a portion of the stream of the cotton fed into the machine and circulated therein by transfer from one cylinder to the other, and consisting essentially of cotton and hulls is continuously withdrawn by the picker roller through said opening while the remaining portion is carried past the opening by said end impact cylinder and is caused to make a circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

3. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a housing, a series of impact cylinders arranged in separated transfer relation to each other in said housing, the impact cylinder at one end of the series being located adjacent an opening provided at the jcorresponding end of the housing, screens partially surrounding the cylinders on one side and forming a part of the housing thereof, means for supplying a regulated stream of bolls and cotton to the housing, and a rotatable picker roller located in said opening in proximity to said end impact cylinder on the side thereof facing said opening, and of less diameter than said cylinder, whereby, in operation, a portion of the stream of the cotton fed into the machine and circulated therein by transfer from one cylinder to the other, and consisting essentially of cotton and hulls, is continuously Withdrawn by the picker roller through the restricted outlet between the picker roller and one edge of said opening while the remaining portion is carried past the opening by said end impact cylinder and is caused to make a circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

4. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine, comprising, in combination, a series of impact cylinders arranged in separated transfer relation to each other and housed on opposite sides, screens partially surrounding the cylinders on oneside and forming a part of the housing thereof, the screen side of the housing at one end of the series of cylinders terminating at an opening, means for supplying a regulated stream of bolls and cotton tothe housing, and a rotatable picker roller located in proximity to the impact cylinder at said end of the series and in spaced relation to said termination of the screen side of the housing, whereby, in operation, a portion of the stream of the cotton fed into the machine and circulated therein by transfer from one cylinder to the other, and consisting essentially of cotton and hulls, is continuously withdrawn by the picker roller through said opening while the remaining portion is carried-past the opening by the impact cylinder adjacent the picker roller and is caused to make a circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

5. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a series of impact cylinders arranged in separated transfer relation to each other and, housed on opposite sides, screens partially surrounding the cylinders on one side and forming a part of the housing thereof, the screen side of the housing at 01165116. of the series terminating at an opening, means for supplying a regulated stream of bolls and cotton to said housing immediately over the impact cylinder at said end of the series, whereby, in operation, bolly cotton supplied to said housing will be transferred from said impact cylinder at one end of the series to the other cylinders in order in one direction, and in the opposite direction over the screens of said cylinders, and a rotatable picker roller located in proximity to the impact cylinder at said end of the series and in spaced relation to said termination of the screen side of the housing to provide therewith a restricted outlet, and operating to continuously withdraw a portion of the stream of the cotton, consisting essentially of cotton and hulls through said opening while the remaining portion is carried past the restricted outlet by said end cylinder and is caused to repeat the circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

6. A boll breaking and cotton cleaning ma chine, comprising, in combination, .a series of housed impact cylinders arranged in transfer relation to each other, a series of screens partly surrounding the cylinders at one side and forming a part of the housing thereof, a picker roller mounted to rotate in proximity to the impact cylinder at one end of the series of cylinders and located in the line of movement of the cotton thrown elf by said cylinder, the opposed sides of said end cylinder and picker roller moving in opposite directions with the picker roller having a downward movement, a fixed member defining the size of an opening past said picker roller for the passage of cotton, and means for supplying a regulated stream of bells and cotton to the housing, whereby, in'operation, the cotton supplied to the housing will be caused to be transferred from one cylinder to the other in order in one direction, and in the opposite direction over said screens, and the picker roller will continuously withdraw through said opening a portion of the stream of cotton circulated by said impact cylinders while the remaining portion will be carried past the opening by said end cylinder and be caused to repeat the circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof.

,said end cylinder moving in a downward directtion, and said picker roller being located in the line of discharge of the'eotton thrown off by said end cylinder, and a fixed member supporting the outer end of the screen of said end cylinder'and defining the size of an opening past said picker roller, whereby, in operation, the picker roller will continuously withdraw through said opening a portion of the stream of cotton thrown off by said end cylinder while the remaining portion will be caused to make the circuit around the series of cylinders and over the screens thereof,

' JOHN E. MITCHELL. 

